Game 5: AT Iona, November 23rd, 2 PM, NO TV

[Washingtonian]

I have a feeling Tuesday night at Princeton will show what this team is made of. If they lose by a few points, I think it would be respectable, if they get blown out, I am not sure what to say because I don't like to judge a team till after the 10th game.

Hopefully, when Copes returns next Saturday in Fairfax, he comes back with a vengeance and the rest of the team follows suit.

 

[KAOriginal]

The difference between the vcu loss and our loss today is that:

vcu plays great day to day and that loss was out of the norm for their program. The past few years have been fruitful in recognition, post seasons, etc.

For Mason on the other hand...this is closer to the norm...we play half a**, and so happens a GOOD team from a "lesser conference" exposed it, instead of the typical "whew we just got by that one" we are used to coupled with the dreams of what might have been with this program.

 

[Patriot Lawdog]

We were losing 34-5 to a MAAC team. And yet, some here seem to think I'm overreacting. Go figure.

Jim, I think it's because you and I are reading the tea leaves here. We've seen this movie before at a certain ACC school. I'm not saying that Hewitt should be fired now and I know he won't be. I'm anticipating us not being very good this year and next. At that point, I would hope our AD isn't the dumbest AD in the world and would have him as a lame duck and murder our recruiting for that year.... or even worse extend him.

I work with some GT fans and all they say is that the things I complain about are the exact things they complained about 5 years ago. Of course, I'll still root for the unlikely to happen, but my reasonable side sees us just biding time these next 2 years.

 

[gmutom]

We were losing 34-5 to a MAAC team. And yet, some here seem to think I'm overreacting. Go figure.

I'm just relieved you were able to break away from your family obligations today to post so much negativity after our first loss of the season. Hopefully, you will be free to post your analysis after our next win.

 

[jjbman]

I think all of our guys tried their best today and we messed up some easy opportunities. Decent teams will expose this, so after the way we started today I'm glad these guys FOUGHT hard and scored more points in the second half than Iona.

What game were you watching? I saw a lazy team that just didn't seem to care. Every team will have bad shooting days and days when the other team just can't miss. That wasn't us today.

Go through the play-by-play. We gave up 22 layups. Out of 24 two point baskets Iona made. That doesn't happen to a team with any fight in them. What a piss-poor performance.

 

[gmujim92]

We're essentially 1-1.

One really good win, one horrifyingly bad loss, and three utterly "Meh" games against lousy teams.

Rothstein is right. The schedule only gets tougher from here.

 

[gmujim92]

I'm just relieved you were able to break away from your family obligations today to post so much negativity after our first loss of the season. Hopefully, you will be free to post your analysis after our next win.

Hope it helps you sleep well tonight, blaming me for today's loss.

Obviously, I did a terrible job of getting our guys ready to play.

Sorry.

 

[gmujim92]

Jim, I think it's because you and I are reading the tea leaves here. We've seen this movie before at a certain ACC school. I'm not saying that Hewitt should be fired now and I know he won't be. I'm anticipating us not being very good this year and next. At that point, I would hope our AD isn't the dumbest AD in the world and would have him as a lame duck and murder our recruiting for that year.... or even worse extend him.

I work with some GT fans and all they say is that the things I complain about are the exact things they complained about 5 years ago. Of course, I'll still root for the unlikely to happen, but my reasonable side sees us just biding time these next 2 years.

The saddest part of this whole situation is that Hewitt had a long time to fix the problems with his coaching at GT, and never did it. So why would anyone think he was going to turn into something different at Mason?

That we're still seeing these lackadaisical efforts in his third season is the least surprising thing in the history of ever.

 

[gmutom]

Hope it helps you sleep well tonight, blaming me for today's loss.

I'll sleep absolutely fine tonight. I can't control what I can't control, so I just try to get as much enjoyment out of Mason basketball as I can. So far, I have enjoyed 80-percent of our games this year.

Jim, you know that I value your basketball knowledge more than anybody here. Just know, though, that the next comment you make about the actual game today will be the first. You've become so obsessed with your Hewitt rants that you don't even bother to analyze the actual games anymore.

What I wouldn't do to trade in "Grandstander Jim" for "Sportswriter Jim." He was the best.

 

[gmujim92]

34-5. There's my analysis, Tom.

It's not that complicated, and we all know it.

Good coaches lose games, but they don't let their teams enter a game utterly unprepared to play. We've seen it twice in two seasons plus five games with Hewitt.

At some point, enough will be enough.

 

[Patriotfan49]

I'm just relieved you were able to break away from your family obligations today to post so much negativity after our first loss of the season. Hopefully, you will be free to post your analysis after our next win.

It gets tiring hearing you just deem any criticism as undue negativity everytime and think anybody who speaks out has some agenda against either Hewitt or the team.

Lets call a spade a spade, while certain nuances have changed....the team performance hasnt. The aloof mentality that comes from the top, hasnt. Being completely out coached, schemed...hasnt. You can keep waiting each year for some drastic change....but after 3 years of the same issues, I dont think those changes are coming.

I bet you think Shanny shouldnt be canned this year either.

 

[Masonman]

This would have never have happened if Peterson had not transferred.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

I miss Peterson

 

[gmutom]

34-5. There's my analysis, Tom

Jim, we were getting wide-open shots and just failed to make layups. That's not poor preparation, that's poor execution. In fact, our offensive gameplan was to attack the basket, and we actually did a very good job of doing that. We, unfortunately, just didn't finish at the rim. Once the wheels came off early, it obviously snowballed out of control very quickly.

Could Hewitt have done a better job to stop the bleeding? Absolutely. There are a number of things he could have tried, including switching to a zone or going with a bigger lineup to counter their guard penetration. I just think it's an easy out to say a team's not prepared when they play poorly.

 

[gmujim92]

In my experience, you can tell whether a team is mentally prepared to play by how it performs on the defensive end.

Forget the missed layups. If anything, that's just even more proof that Iona was nowhere near as good as we made them look.

But our guys played most of the first half as if they were having a little pickup game at the RAC. No intensity, no defense, no energy.

Seen it all before, way too many times.

 

[GMUgemini]

Jim, we were getting wide-open shots and just failed to make layups. That's not poor preparation, that's poor execution. In fact, our offensive gameplan was to attack the basket, and we actually did a very good job of doing that. We, unfortunately, just didn't finish at the rim. Once the wheels came off early, it obviously snowballed out of control very quickly.

Could Hewitt have done a better job to stop the bleeding? Absolutely. There are a number of things he could have tried, including switching to a zone or going with a bigger lineup to counter their guard penetration. I just think it's an easy out to say a team's not prepared when they play poorly.

Missing open shots doesn't necessarily translate into giving up 89 the other way. Mostly by being broken down easily and repeatedly the entire game off the dribble. A good team keeps the score close despite the shooting woes. They come out the second half with more fire than the first and makes life miserable for the other team. We went into the half down 19 and the lead continued to balloon into the 30s.

This team has no fire and motivation and a broken defense scheme they can't master. And nothing is changing.

 

[Patriotfan49]

Welp, Gemini seems to have come to the "negative side"...guess its just Tom left awaiting Hewitt and co to figure it out and put it all together out of the blue.

This is like Skins fans. Besides the fluke last year, there comes a point in every season (like right now) where all the delusional hype, expectations (LOL Jason Reed saying its a 12-4 team) and grandioso visions.....where the proof is simply in the pudding and people figure out they are simply just a bad team. No more silver lining, no more excuses, no more justifications......simply just a bad team.

Hewitt is what he is.....and he WILL ALWAYS be the same. Hes not magically going to figure it out at this point. You either accept the mediocrity and cluster f, or you move on and find a better option. I think most people know what answer will be better for our program.

 

[Five Two]

At least we didn't screw up an end of game play and lose by 2. We're still 4-0 in close games..........
I feel good that I re-caulked my tub and painted my bathroom today instead of paying to watch. After seeing the score after the first 4 minutes, I got a lot done.

 

[GMUgemini]

P49, I've been cautiously optimistic that at some point Hewitt was going to realize he needed to fix his defensive scheme, especially with these players. I know he's stubborn and slow to change, but it's been way too long and I'm resigned at this point. We are going nowhere under Hewitt in the A-10.

Can we see if we can poach Ron Hunter from GSU (along with his son)? They're both wasted in the the Sun Belt conference.

 

[Patriotfan49]

P49, I've been cautiously optimistic that at some point Hewitt was going to realize he needed to fix his defensive scheme, especially with these players. I know he's stubborn and slow to change, but it's been way too long and I'm resigned at this point. We are going nowhere under Hewitt in the A-10.

Can we see if we can poach Ron Hunter from GSU (along with his son)? They're both wasted in the the Sun Belt conference.

Of course you have, everybody has that feeling. When the decision was made to bring him here, you really have nothing to do but hope he puts it together and figures it out. You dont want to come to the realization day one you hired a dud... But like you said, 3 years and the same ole........not sure what else people need to see to understand as Denny Green said "they are who we thought they were"